Replace a Front Door – Slow Down!
Replace a Front Door | The biggest challenge in replacing this door would be making sure the woodwork surrounding the door is placed back exactly where it is now. The wallpaper will look perfect if this happens.
Replace a Front Door
DEAR TIM: My wife wants to change out the front door on our existing home. But the door is flanked on either side with sidelights. I am puzzled how to attack this project as the frames of the door and the sidelights seem to be permanently attached to one another. Can I easily separate them? Changing out the entire door seems as if it would be a nightmare as the brick touches up against the exterior door trim. What are my options? Jim L., Hickory, NC
DEAR JIM: You have a keen eye for the obvious. The frames of the sidelights and the actual door unit are connected and if they are like most, it will be a tough job to separate them. Perhaps the most challenging part is at your feet and you might have overlooked it. The threshold of the door typically is continuous under both sidelights as well as the door. You can't imagine the difficulty of disconnecting the door frame from the threshold with little or no damage to the threshold.
Is Replacing a Front Door Hard?
The task of replacing the entire door unit including the sidelights is not as hard as you might think. I realize you may be intimidated by the complexity since the brickwork is touching the exterior trim of the door. This is fairly normal.
What you might not realize is a gap on both sides of the door and sidelights as well as a gap between the top of the door and the rough framing. These gaps are hidden by the interior and exterior trim that surrounds the door and sidelight frames. Carpenters must create a larger opening for the actual door for a number of reasons.
The job of replacing a front door can be slightly more difficult if you have to move a front door sideways. This can happen where the door opening was not centered as it should have been during original construction.
Should The Weight of the Wall Bear on the Door?
First, the door itself should float in the opening. The weight of the structure should never be transmitted to the door or the door frame. By creating an opening larger than the door, the weight of the structure above is transferred to the framing material on either side of the door.
Why Should a 1/2-Inch Gap Be Above the Door Frame?
Secondly, the framing of the house can move as the house shrinks and it can move over time with changes in the weather. If the door and its frame were to be a tight fit, this movement would cause the door to bind on a regular basis. Finally, the rough opening might not be perfectly square and plumb. The finish carpenter needs some wiggle room to adjust the door as it is installed so it operates perfectly.
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Can You Get Replacement Sidelights?
The good news is that many new replacement exterior doors with sidelights are usually the same size or within a fraction of an inch of your existing one. The only exceptions might be door units that are 50 or more years old. Purchasing a replacement door that will fit can be done by discovering the actual unit dimension of your existing door and sidelights. The unit dimension is the actual width and height of the combined door and sidelight frames without any interior or exterior trim applied to them. Remove the interior trim that surrounds the door to begin this measuring process.
When Can You See the Door Frame?
Once the trim is removed, you should be able to see the side edges of the door unit. The sidelight and door jamb frames are typically three quarters of an inch thick. The interior trim often covers one half inch of this material. The next thing you need to discover is the actual bottom of the threshold. Using a tape measure, you should be able to get very accurate measurements side to side of the frame and the measurement from the bottom of the threshold to the top of the door frame.
What Should I Take To the Home Center?
Take these measurements and a photo of the inside and outside of the door with you to an exterior door store. They will have catalogs that list the actual unit dimensions of replacement doors. I am very confident you will find a door unit that will easily fit in your opening.
Do I Need to Make Adjustments?
The exterior trim of the new door may need a small amount of adjustment to make it look as good as new. If you have a gap, simply add some smaller trim moldings that complement the larger molding. If the factory molding is too large, remove the necessary wood to make the trim fit tightly against the brick.
What Mistakes Do Carpenters and Handymen Make?
Some carpenters make huge mistakes when installing exterior doors. They sit them directly upon the concrete slab or wood subfloor. When the interior finished flooring is installed months later, there is rarely enough room for a throw rug. The door bottom is simply too close to the finish floor and pushes the throw rug out of the way.
Should I Use a Flashing Pan?
It is always best to install a special flashing pan in the rough opening first and then place a 5/8 inch thick piece of redwood or CCA treated lumber on top of the flashing. The door threshold sits on this rot resistant wood and is now high enough so that most finished floor materials either slide under the threshold or can be notched to fit under the threshold. This gives you plenty of room for a throw rug in the entrance hall.
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I need to replace my front door ,The side lite is fine .Can I replace just the door . My house was bilt 1993 in Rochester,ny
Yes. You can just replace the door.
How do I measure accurately if I am not able to remove the trim? For example, if my door measures 32 x 80, do I need to add in another 1 1/2" for the gaps? Does that step it up to a 34 x 80 door I'll need?
Are you going to replace the door? If so, you'll be removing the trim! So why not do it now and get the correct sized unit? Remove it carefully, salvage it and reinstall it so it looks fine inside your home until the new door is installed.
I have a fiberglass door with two sidelights. It's about 10 years old, but the door and sidelights have held up great. The only problem is that the wood frames between the door and sidelights have rotted. When I complained to the manufacturer a few years ago, they sent me new vertical frames. What is involved with removing the old frames and installing the new ones that I have? The frames are screwed into the sidelights, but I'm afraid there's more to it, like glue or vertical connections through the threshold and sill.
Hello. Our former dog terribly scratched the interior front door side panel (with half window); however the door is just fine. We have a solid wood door and panel (52" wide combined). Is it possible to replace just the side panel or do we need to replace both? Do you have a thought about costs to sand and refinish the side panel vs. the cost of replacing? Thank you.
I have a door with 2 sidelights and the door frame which is all one piece has rotted. I am trying to find out if it is possible to get just a door frame and not have to buy a complete door set just to get the frame.
We are replacing a large picture window with a front door with sidelights. We have found a slab door that we love and would like to add sidelights. Is this possible?
We want to get a new front steel entry door. Trying to figure out what the best option is, to replace just the door or replace the door with the frame. My mothers main concern in getting a door with the frame put in, is that it will ruin the painted walls inside the house when the mouldings are removed. Will this happen, or are installers pretty good at chankging it without causeing damage to the frams and pint? Thanks for your help!!!
Hi,
We have a uvpc door with a sidelight to the left. The sidelight is fine but the door is pretty knackered with a very ill-fitted cat flap (w dont have a cat) and I would like to replace! Is it possible to replace JUST the door? If so exactly how do I measure as I can not find another door online/in shops which is exactly the same dimensions. Also does it have to be replaced with another uvpc door? Advice greatly received,
Many thanks,
Bryony, Surrey.
Hi there,
I have a 36x84 door and would like to replace it with a prehung 36x80 door (for cost reasons). This would leave about a 4 in opening at the top. Is there any reason why I couldn't fill in the gap at the top with spare wood and hide with new trim?
Thanks,
Mike
Thank you so much for talking about how it is important to make sure you take the time to create a bigger opening than what you need when installing a door to prevent the weight of the house from obstructing the operation of the door.I can see that doing this can help you open and close your doors smoothly and make sure you enjoy having it in your home. Personally, I would want to make sure I consult with a professional to ensure my new front door is properly installed and it fits its frame properly.
I have an exterior door without side panels. It's an old door(1964). I would like sidepanels. Is that possible?
Yes it's possible. You need to enlarge the opening.
Tim
I want to replace the hollow core doors (30x80) in my house with 6 panel solid oak doors. The prefinished new doors are 3/16" smaller (29 13/16). I do not want to use pre-hung doors. Any ideas?
Thanks
Yes. Just replace the door. It might be easier than going through all that hassle. I would say look around for the best style and price because the doors can get quite expensive. We got quotes from conservation construction of dallas, pella, champion and doorworld. All near our home in dallas ft worth. I am not sure where you live but prices range dramatically.